Question

Carlton is using the following data samples to make a claim about the house values in his neighborhood:

House

Value

A $100,000
B $600,000
C $650,000
D $700,000
E $900,000


Based on the data, should Carlton use the mean or the median to make an inference about the house values in his neighborhood?

Answer 1

Carlton should use the mean to make an inference about the house values in his neighborhood. On the other hand, a median would only provide one of the data values, and not be influenced by any of the other values. This is due to the fact that all of the house values are spread out.

Answer 2

Carlton should use the median.

Explanation:

Value of houses:

A $100,000

B $600,000

C $650,000

D $700,000

E $900,000

Here finding mean will be inaccurate as Option A or $100,000 is an outlier as it has a big difference from the other values.

So, Carlton should use the median because the mean will be inaccurate because of the outlier.